Keebler put up for saleKeebler Co.'s British parent has...

BUSINESS DIGEST

Keebler Co.'s British parent has put the cookie-and-cracker maker on the auction block, citing disappointing U.S. sales.

United Biscuits has not set an asking price. It said Keebler's declining sales and increased costs prevented United Biscuits shareholders from getting maximum value.

The news follows a report Monday that Philip Morris Cos. wants to sell most of its baking division, which includes Entenmann's cookies and cakes and Freihofer's breads, because of flat sales. Keebler, the second-largest U.S. cookie and snack maker after RJR Nabisco, posted revenues of $1.7 billion last year, down 3 percent from 1993.

GM recalls certain models

General Motors Corp. yesterday recalled about 116,000 1990-1993 Buick Riviera, Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado models with shoulder belts that become stuck in the retractor.

GM also recalled about 90,000 1994-1995 Chevrolet Caprice, Buick Roadmaster and Cadillac Fleetwood models for faulty accelerator pedals that may fail to return to idle position quick enough.

The railroad, which has 30 miles of track, serves a steel plant that Veritas purchased last year. Bethlehem Steel also said it is discussing the sale of Manufacturer's Water Co. in Johnstown to Veritas Capital.

Los Angeles Times to trim staff

The Los Angeles Times announced yesterday that it planned to cut 450 full-time positions by the end of this year, and employees in the editorial department said they were told that these cuts would include up to 160 of the paper's 1,300 news-gathering positions.

In a break with the paper's recent practice of using attrition and buyouts to shrink its staff, the reductions announced yesterday would include an undetermined number of outright layoffs, said Laura Morgan, director of communications for the newspaper. The Los Angeles Times is owned by Times Mirror Co., which also owns The Sun.